The realignment of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association means the end of the KLAA West, which was home to Brighton, Hartland, Howell and Pinckney sports teams since the 2008-09 school year.

The KLAA West featured some great athletes during its nine seasons of existence. There were state champions, all-staters and others who were just outstanding all-around athletes in multiple sports.

This is part of a series on the top 10 male and female athletes in the history of the KLAA West as chosen by Livingston Daily sports reporter Bill Khan. Unlike our annual Livingston County Athlete of the Year selections, great single-sport athletes are recognized on this list.

No. 1: GRANT FISHER

Grant Fisher won the Foot Locker national cross country championship during his junior and senior year at Grand Blanc.(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today)

School: Grand Blanc

Graduated: 2015

Sports: Cross country, soccer, track and field

College: Stanford University cross country, track and field

Accomplishments: Fisher was a good enough athlete to compete on the biggest stage in two high school sports on the same day, but he had to choose between playing in the soccer state championship game or the cross country finals his sophomore year. He elected to play soccer, but it would soon become evident that Fisher possessed a rare gift as a runner. In his final two years of cross country, Fisher was not only the Division 1 state champion, but the Foot Locker national champion. Fisher achieved rock-star status in Michigan cross country and track circles, similar to the treatment Dathan Ritzenhein received when he was shattering records at Rockford. Just a few years after Grand Blanc appeared to have a once-in-a-lifetime miler in Omar Kaddurah, Fisher broke the records set by the two-time 1,600-meter state champion. He set a state finals all-division record with a time of 4:00.28 in 2015 to repeat as champion. A couple hours later, he ran 8:53.41 to win the 3,200. Six days later, he made history by becoming the seventh high school runner to break the four-minute mile, clocking 3:59.38 in St. Louis. Just a year after running in the KLAA, Fisher was on the track for the U.S. Olympic Trials, finishing 10th in the 5,000 in 13:53.27. He’s made All-America in cross country his first two years at Stanford, placing 17th and fifth at the NCAA meet. Reinforcing the belief that Fisher could be America’s next great distance runner, he won the 5,000 at the NCAA meet as a sophomore.

Comment: “Ever since I started running, the first big name you learn in Michigan is Dathan Ritzenhein,” Fisher said his senior year. “After my freshman year and my sophomore year, I got to know what he had done during his career. Now that people are comparing what I’m doing to him, it really doesn’t feel right. It’s kind of surreal. I don’t think it’s a fair comparison to compare anybody to Ritz.”